“The Onus Is On Jameis Winston”
March 17th, 2018
Average won’t cut it any longer
The pressure is on – in a very, very big way.
The Bucs are loaded with pass catchers, two beastly tight ends and four receivers who can seriously catch the football. And now there’s serious, young veteran talent on the offensive line, after the addition of $11-million-per-year center (?) Ryan Jensen last night.
Throw in the mere absence of Doug Martin (a huge positive on its own), and an inevitable rookie running back addition to team with rising Peyton Barber, plus Jacquizz Rodgers as a more versatile third-down back than Charles Sims. It all adds up to massive pressure on America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, to produce immediately.
There is no sugarcoating it. Jameis has to step up from the ranks of average NFL starter who has lost 60 percent of his starts. Especially considering the Bucs’ defense is bad news.
Expect the Bucs to exercise their fifth-year option (2019) on Jameis’ contract before the May deadline. But in many, many ways, 2018 is Jameis’ prove it year. If Jameis improves, then that likely saves his head coach and playcaller and the Bucs win more than they lose. If Jameis stagnates and loses with all the talent around him in Year 4 in Dirk Koetter’s offense, then Team Glazer will have a serious decision on its hands.
In the modern history of the NFL, few quarterbacks get a fifth consecutive season as a starter without seeing the playoffs. Please help Joe identify some names, if you don’t accept that fact.
Respected Chris Wesseling of NFL.com put his foot down after last night’s Jensen signing: “The onus is on Jameis Winston to produce a long-awaited breakout campaign.”
Very well said.
March 17th, 2018 at 8:55 am
When has this not been the case? The onus is always on the QB.
March 17th, 2018 at 8:56 am
With a legitimate, viable running attack, and with the weapons he has now Jameis will flourish.
With a running game, the weapons he has now, and a decent defense, he’ll win Championships.
March 17th, 2018 at 8:57 am
the turnovers must improve!!!! Since 2015 they have been around the bottom of the league!!!!!!
2015 tied 22nd, offense turnovers 28
2016 tied 24th, offense turnovers 27
2017 tied 26th, offense turnovers 27
The Bucs offense must protect the rock!!!!!! The Bucs offense cannot have a 20.9 pts per game avg and turn over the ball at that rate!!!!! Too many resources have been going towards the offense for that!!!! I expect the defense to struggle on some aspects, But the offense must be better than what has been posted the last 3 years!!!!!!!!
with great resources comes great expectations!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!
March 17th, 2018 at 8:59 am
The onus is on the coaching staff to put these guys in position to succeed. Lets start with putting them into positions. The positions they play, and stick with them. All their little experiments never work out. Put 5 O linemen in there and leave them there. Then practice tackle football as much as possible. Jameis is not the problem. We dont have to go back far to see a team with bortles go far. Gota make the bucs a disciplined, hard working team. No more guys changing or sharing positions please!
March 17th, 2018 at 9:01 am
Hope they sign Onus in the second round!!! That dude is a mauler!
March 17th, 2018 at 9:05 am
Jameis never progressed after FSU. It’s not a prove it year. He’s already shown us who he is at qb. Now it’s up to us the fans to accept the truth as hard as it is. Just like it was with Freeman.
March 17th, 2018 at 9:06 am
There is still no running back. Barber is not the answer unless the question is who will lead the league in fumbles. Until we get someone to respect back there JW will have to do it all, and hate to tell you if you don’t already know, he can’t because he simply isn’t that good.
March 17th, 2018 at 9:10 am
This is the year jameis replaces the underachieving has beens as the greatest buc of all time however the defense led by the softest most overrated buc of all time will keep them in the nfc South basement
March 17th, 2018 at 9:12 am
Partially true, I would say the bigger onus is on Koetter/Monken (still waiting to figure out just how involved Monken will be) and Licht (for putting together a talent base that is “really close”). Koetter/Monken needs to show they can put all of these tools in positions to succeed. Koetter is the same guy that felt Martin was the back that gave the Bucs the best chance to win. He stuck by this all the way through week 16 when at the end of the game, in the most important drive, Koetter chose Martin. On the Rodgers vs Sims statement, if Koetter believed Rodgers was the better 3rd down back, we as fans would’ve seen way more of Rodgers last season than Sims. I can’t find any rumors regarding Sims that involve him going to any other team than the Bucs. At this point, I will be surprised (pleasantly) if Sims is not resigned with the Bucs and installed as the third down back.
The one score game number is well documented. How many of those were due to late defensive collapses? Unless Winston starts rushing the passer, that won’t help.
The decision for the Glazers will be to pick up Winston’s option, bring in a coach to see if they can get anything out of Winston, then start over if it doesn’t work out. There is no scenario, short of the Uber incident being a total fabrication on Winston’s part (unequivocal proof), that the Bucs release Winston without trying another coach at the helm if this season isn’t a resounding success.
There may be low expectations from the fans and the media, but the Glazers, based on feedback from Koetter and Licht, have to expect a playoff win. The Glazers have put huge amounts of trust in Koetter/Smith/Licht by giving them another season. Its a huge gamble.
March 17th, 2018 at 9:14 am
Let’s see if Winston can cut down on his fumbles and bone headed plays. This is entering his 4th year and he hasn’t really improved in my opinion. It’s time to put up or shut up. Win some freaking games Jaboo!!
March 17th, 2018 at 9:16 am
Bucfans sufferred so much mental damage witnessing the completely incompetent offenses fielded by the failed dungy mckay era that they have no ability to recognize offensive talent. Jameis is the bucs and greatest offensive player in team history which I accept is an incredibly low standard.
Jw3 is not the issue the soft pathetic defense led by captain blowout cancer93 is why there is no hope for future
March 17th, 2018 at 9:28 am
Easy- thanks for your meaningless opinion. Jamies has improved in almost every statistical category year over year. It’s a fact! Not opinion.
March 17th, 2018 at 9:32 am
Koetter is a garbage head coach and I’m not sure how the blame goes Winston for a bad season. Koetter will be blamed and be out the door. Winston is a good enough quarterback to win in this league and you morons expecting he should be a Brady like qb just because he was a first overall pick your not living in reality. He can be an Eli Manning/Phillip Rivers type qb is he had the right coach.
He was not the reason the offense was trash last year but he was the reason d Jack has horrible numbers
March 17th, 2018 at 9:33 am
#3 has to play better PERIOD.
To me his biggest gaff was that last game, FOR the win… in which we now sit in draft limbo.
March 17th, 2018 at 9:38 am
WutdaBuc
Winning was a mistake? How can you say to a team that only won 5 games that winning against a division rival was a bad thing? Winning is NEVER a bad thing, especially when we can take down the good ol Aints. Tanking is for LOSERS!!
March 17th, 2018 at 9:40 am
WELL I BELIEVE WINSTON WAS A VERY BAD PICK FROM THE START , PART OF THE BLAME GOES TO THE COACH BUT LOOK AT IT THIS WAY YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE THEM DRINK IT , SO THIS SEASON WILL TELL IF WINSTON WANTS TO DRINK THE WATER IF NOT THEN HE WAS A BD EGG OR PICK BUT WHAT EVER HE HAS TO PROVE HIS SELF THIS YEAYYYYYYYEARYEARR OR OUT THE DOOR LIKE THE RET
March 17th, 2018 at 9:44 am
What would Jameis have looked like at FSU if he was surrounded by Buc-like lack of talent….he was surrounded by elite talent for that level of football….his talent here is very, very far from elite, on both sides of the ball……the FSU defense bailed him out many, many times and that’s something this defense cannot do……
March 17th, 2018 at 9:46 am
Buckman why must you yell at us
March 17th, 2018 at 9:48 am
Tua 2020
March 17th, 2018 at 9:52 am
Dirk will attempt to turn Jameis into a game manager, 1st two picks, Nelson and either Guice, Michel or Chubb. Then they will pray the defense will turn around, Bucs should win a few games more because the 4 million dollar kicker won’t choke. Winston and Dirk will have spats, because JW will want to go all in and DK will say reign it in. Red zone issues should be a thing of the past, hopefully
March 17th, 2018 at 9:53 am
The drafting of Nelson & Sony would complete the offense…..That offense may just be good enough to make up for a weak pass rush.
Jameis has to have a running game and a half way decent defense to make the playoffs.
I do agree that we are churning up Jameis’ first 4 years quickly and we need to make something happen soon.
March 17th, 2018 at 9:53 am
It’s go time for #3! Now or never! We got offensive talent.
March 17th, 2018 at 9:56 am
Jameis needs to minimize the silly turnovers: forcing balls, fumbling instead of getting rid of it. If we can manage the turnover ratio we will be in good shape.
Draft a RB and Nelson and let’s go!
March 17th, 2018 at 9:58 am
You are definitely gonna have to spend a high pick on a rb preferably in the 2nd round. I don’t see how they are going to plug all the holes on this defense. Guarantee a better coach would have Jameis looking like an mvp candidate with the same players.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:00 am
YEs because the onus was on Jameis when his defens gave up 4 fourth quarter leads last year. But you’ll still have you tools like those above who say he hasn’t improved, or his defense bailed him out at fsu, which just shows you’ve never watched an fsu game when he was there. How about a running back to take the pressure off? Jameis improves in every category outside of fumbles last year , get over it haters.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:00 am
Tua will get us there in 2020
March 17th, 2018 at 10:06 am
Yeah Nelson and Sony would be a draft combo to get excited about. The defense would be horrendous tho. Teams built like that usually don’t win tho, like the saints before last year.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:12 am
Jameis needs to cut down on turnovers but he already is the best qb we have ever had.jameis is the least of my worry on this team!if they can build a defense,jameis can take this team to a championship!people who say he is a bust are wrong!everyone forgets he came out of college early and is still very young!jameis will prove them wrong when it’s all said and done!
March 17th, 2018 at 10:16 am
I’m going to say it again, jameis is not the problem… The defence is!
March 17th, 2018 at 10:24 am
You’re right Joe, even Mariota has made the playoffs already and it was with a less talented cast of players than the Bucs
March 17th, 2018 at 10:27 am
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“Average won’t cut it any longer” = FAKE NEWS CAPTION … good for generating comments though 🙂
If Jameis is “average” Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, Derek Carr, Dak Prescott and many other QBs must flat out SUCK, eh Joe?
CONSIDER, when Jameis was HEALTHY towards the end of the year (games 12-15) and wasn’t forcing to Mike just to get Mike the record he coveted like he did in the last game of the year, he was THE BEST QB IN THE NFL … BY FAR.
In those 4 games, yes all losses against teams in the playoff hunt (2 of whom made the playoffs) but by just an average of 3.75 points per game … JAMEIS COMPLETED 72% of his passes for an average of 305.25 yards per game, with 8 TDs and just 2 INTs … HE WAS THE BEST QB IN THE NFL OVER THAT 25% OF THE SEASON, THE ONLY TIME HE WAS HEALTHY.
Extrapolate those 4 games out for an entire year and you’re looking at:
————————————————————————-
Completion Percentage: 72% (would tie Brees for #1 in the NFL)
Passing Yards: 4,884 (would BE #1 in the NFL by nearly 300 yards!)
TDs: 32 (exactly what Tom Brady had last year)
INTs: 8 (exactly what Tom Brady had last year)
Passer Rating: 114.5 (would have been #1 in the NFL by a ton!)
————————————————————————–
The above is what Jameis 4 healthy game numbers towards the end of this year, ALL AGAINST TEAMS IN THE PLAYOFF HUNT, extrapolated over an entire year would look like … and THOSE numbers would have him standing as the #1 QB in the entire NFL without even a close 2nd statistically.
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March 17th, 2018 at 10:27 am
So when our defense collapses in the 4th quarter, that’s gonna be on Jameis? Pfft
Jameis will be just fine providing he can protect the ball, interceptions will happen, not worried. Redzone offense is more Koetters fault not Jameis’s imo . what I am worried about is our defense , so we resigned Grimes and Tandy and got back up Dt and rotational De, Licht is hoping Hargraves returns to have an impact and I hope he does, but what happens when 35 y/o Grimes goes down ? and We still can’t produce pressure or sacks? I don’t think the draft will fill the pieces we still need on defense… and still need a running back too.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:29 am
A QB’s best friend is a good running game. Especially when your QB is average at best. This is a big year for Winston. He can only live on his overrated potential for so long. He had the Bucs in a very bad position as he has enough talent that you don’t want to move away from, but on the other hand he has not progressed like they hoped and doesn’t look anything like a championship franchise QB. If he has another fumble and bonehead plays season the Bucs will have a very tough decision to make. Plus, if he did what he is accused of doing to the Uber driver and lied to the Bucs to cover it up, then he should immediately by cut
March 17th, 2018 at 10:34 am
By the way JOE … if Jameis “stagnates” and merely has another year with the exact same passer rating, comp% and TD-to-INT ration, no matter the W/L record, there will be no “decision” for the Glazers to make … they will offer him the richest contract in the history of football, period.
When Jameis becomes the “next in line”, he can easily get the richest contract ever.
The ONLY way that doesn’t happen is if (a) Jameis tells the team he doesn’t want the richest contract as he wants to win and will give them a hometown discount, or (b) he suffers a nasty injury in 2018, or (c) he regresses and throws more INTs than TDs and finishes with a passer rating in the 70s like Marcus Mariota did last year …
STAGNATING would be fine and wouldn’t cost him a penny … REGRESSION on the scale of what happened to Mariota last year would be a different story.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:35 am
It’s March.
The onus right now is on the GM.
He isn’t close to finishing what he needs to do.
The Bucs need another interior offensive lineman to battle and compete with Sweeney.
They need 3-4 DEs to come in and battle.
FIX THE TRENCHES, FIX THE BUCS!!
March 17th, 2018 at 10:36 am
Brian,
Your comment was ignorant, literally.
Go look at Jameis’ and Mariota’s stat lines across the board from 2016 to 2017 … Mariota regressed in basically every statistical category but played on a good team in a bad division … Jameis PROGRESSED and set career highs in basically every statistical category but his team sucked and played in the best division in the NFL.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:38 am
This is a poorly build team. Philly was able to keep winning against playoff caliber teams and eventually a super bowl with a backup QB because they built the team properly. I almost hope Jameis doesn’t even play next season. Let this ship go ahead and sink next season so that the Glazers will clean house and start over.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:40 am
Let’s just say it’s alot of blame to share around from coaches to coordinators and yes the players also and last but certainly not least you sorry azz hating supposed to be fans 💩🤮 so it may not be the team ya haters want but it’s all we got and will have so just sit back 🤫 and enjoy the ride 😎🌞 and lets 👀 what we come up with.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:43 am
Realist, your 8:57 AM post today was the best I’ve seen in a long time … BINGO! Or as you’d say … BINGO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Bucs’ fans do this every single year: Before the season even starts, expectations for one side of the ball go sky high … either the Offense is gonna score 35 PPG or the Defense is going to allow only 15 PPG. News flash: Bucs are perennial cellar-dwelleres because we’ve NEVER been a BALANCED TEAM. And a strategy of winning scoring lots of points while allowing lots of points gets us someplace between 7-9 and 9-7 at best.
Anyone who thinks our offense will magically jump from 21 PPG & 30 TOP to say 30 PPG & 35 TOP isn’t being realistic.
Last year the Eagles scored the most points: 29.0 PPG. Saints were #4 (29.9 PPG), Carolina was #11 (22.9 PPG) and Falcons were #15 (21.6 PPG). Bucs pulled up the NFC South rear at #18 (20.9 PPG).
Last year the Eagles had the highest time-of-possession of any team – 32:48 TOP. Carolina was second (32:22 TOP), Saints were #9 (30:33 TOP) and Falcons were #14 (30:09 TOP). Bucs were in the middle of the pack (29:43 TOP).
These are the teams we play 6 games against every year. And they ALL have better offenses AND defenses than we do. They’re better BALANCED as a TEAM, and that’s the key reason IMO why they ALL made the playoffs last year. And after this upcoming draft, chances are every one of them will be even better than they were last year. Gut feel at this point is that the Glazer Boyz have written off 2018 from a win-loss perspective. This is an evaluation year IMO, to determine who to move forward with going into 2019 and beyond.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:45 am
Oops, Saints last year scored 27.9 PPG (not 29.9 PPG).
March 17th, 2018 at 10:50 am
Defense Rules,
No owners who have “written off the year” would make Ryan Jensen the highest paid center in NFL history …
Now, your other comments are factual, though with Jensen and if we add Quenton Nelson and a RB in round 2; we could easily be top 10 in TOS and our offenses could easily be top 4 in PPG …. Jameis is better than Cam and Ryan but they both, as well as Brees, have DYNAMIC rushing attacks to rely on and Jameis has had NOTHING in the backfield for 2 years …
March 17th, 2018 at 10:51 am
Brian,
Jamies average at best? You are insane! He was the number one pick for a reason, mainly this team stunk and he is a workaholic, 23 years old and has played 3 seasons. Turnovers? Check Andrew Luck’s total turnovers in his first 3 plus seasons. Total turnovers, the stat Rick Stroud created. Kurt Warner is in the HOF yet he fumbled if you blew on his hands. Jamies IS the franchise QB and everyone should be glad we have him. Have you ever heard of Jamies having alcohol or drug issues? No! The Uber thing will prove Jameis was not alone at 2 am. He doesn’t travel alone, always with someone so I am sure he will be exonerated! In this day & age if I was a celeb I would never travel alone to insure NOT to be falsely accused of indiscretion. All this team needs is a more consistent O line and Jameis will prove to all how good he is. He will be here for 15 plus years
March 17th, 2018 at 10:55 am
NFLNut
Thanks for the presentation of stats.
By any chance do you know how many turnovers Jameis had in comparison to Ryan and Newton?
Obviously Jameis is nowhere near Drew Brees, and that’s ok. Brees is a top 5 QB all time when it’s said and done.
Jameis passes well when he’s not forcing the ball and making poor decisions: ie the last game of the year where he overcame 3 picks and could’ve been 5. I know he was trying to get Evans 1k yards, but I wish he was just a little more careful with the ball at times.
The fumbles get silly too. I love how he puts his body on the line to run the ball, and I hope he can slide more after getting some yards. #3 is the best QB we’ve ever had and I hope/expect him to continue to improve. Fumbles should not happen as frequently.
I’d draft Nelson if there just to help Jameis our with stepping up in the pocket and for an actual run game.
I suspect this is a make or break year for Jameis. I hope he lights it up all year, takes us to the playoffs, and gets a contract extension. If Jameis doesn’t rise up, then we may need to think about drafting a QB, like you mentioned a couple days ago in order to have a cheap contract at the position in order to pay for talent elsewhere on the roster.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:57 am
NFL Nut job
IF you are going to come on here and comment with the adults then please start watching real football games and not just Madden and the geek stat pages.
Ray Charles could see that Winston regressed last yeat, or at the very least has not progressed since his college days. Just living on hype. PR and his precious fanboys. He has to mature and really step up his game if he wants to continue to be a Buc after this year
March 17th, 2018 at 10:58 am
I agree with the title of the article. However, this young man needs to grow up in the worst way. His idiocy off the field needs to come to a screeching halt. He must improve his accuracy and maintain a cool head throughout the game and never, ever, smack an opponent on his sideline. His so-called exuberance is ridiculous immaturity. Self-discipline must happen or he is finished. He’s already viewed as ridiculous by many of his peers, i.e. eating the W. How ridiculous. It’s on him now. Oh, and that is after his likely suspension smh (FYI, some of you will think I wanted Mariota and this is just a rant against Jameis. Not so. I wasn’t impressed by either.)
March 17th, 2018 at 10:59 am
Jimmy
The Winston fanboy line starts to the left
March 17th, 2018 at 10:59 am
An improved Oline and much better running attack will be an immense help to Winston’s “progression”.
One more improvement on Oline along with acquiring a dynamic RB and this Buccaneers offense as a whole will be quite balanced and very hard for defenses to stop.
March 17th, 2018 at 11:02 am
Tmax’s obsession with a pro-Bowl DT as the reason the Bucs lose is all the evidence I need to know the guy is a troll. On the Jameis subject, hopefully he can play like he did in December and for most of 2016. On the pass rush, the Bucs will need to reassess after the draft and look for June casualties to help the current roster. Pass rush issues can change quickly in this league from year to year. As a fan I will cheer and hope for the best. Go Bucs!
March 17th, 2018 at 11:02 am
It feels like you want to use JW as the scape goat for Koetter and the rest of the staff. Jameis can ball out and we will still lose 7-10 games this year. We have no defense and Winston doesn’t have the luxury of haveing a competent play caller. We still need a LG. Jensen will give this run game a boost, but if Koetter is still predictable it won’t matter at all.
March 17th, 2018 at 11:03 am
Fumbles and bonehead is correctable…. accuracy not so much
March 17th, 2018 at 11:15 am
BrianBucs,
You are off, sir.
Winston has, by no means, reached the level we had all hoped. But you have to be blind to not see how well he played the last 4-5 games of the season AFTER the injury was healed. He was top 5 in almost all (positive) NFL passing categories during that stretch.
Did it translate to W’s. No. And that’s what matters most – there is zero debate about that. But throwing blanket statements that Winston clearly regressed isn’t accurate. I’ve watched every snap of his career. I played enough football (D1) to have a decent familiarity of what to look for.
He’s a good QB who has improved each year. He hasn’t improved enough. The narrative that he regressed last season was a lazy national media one. It was started around week 5 or 6 when he was injured. Once that is out there – that’s the story. There’s no changing it.
But he improved greatly over the final month of the season when he returned from injury. Averaging 300 yds a game and completing close to 70% of his passes. If you recall – the Bucs lost 4 straight games by less than a TD before winning the final Saints game. In 3 of those 4, Winston led the team to a lead in the 4th quarter only for the defense to give it up.
Watch those games again. He melted down in the Saints game with the 3 INTs and was erratic. Ironically, that’s the one he got the win. But watch those games and you’ll see a healthy QB who looks like a very good NFL starter. Not elite. But certainly above average.
Licht can help him by simply focusing on the most important area the Bucs need fixing.
FIX THE TRENCHES, FIX THE BUCS!!
March 17th, 2018 at 11:17 am
Totally agree Joe’s
Kudos to you.
They will get a stud running back in draft.
And the rest , they need to go defense. Defense has to play better for Jameis and offense. Still wish they would consider one more pricey free agent whether it be a db or safety.
They could go after Lamar Houston on cheap.
March 17th, 2018 at 11:19 am
Brian- wrong, he did not regress. The defense let this team down on at least 4 occasions. 4 games in which Jameis had this team in position to win only to watch the defense piss it away. 9-7 with his stat line and this conversation doesn’t happen. But you go ahead and keep up with that false narrative. The numbers and my eyes know better.
March 17th, 2018 at 11:31 am
Alter he had a high for completion % for himself last year. And over the last four games he completed 72% of his passes. This whole accuracy thing is embarrassingly used as a blanket statement. Say his DEEP ball accuracy could use work. That would sound right.
March 17th, 2018 at 11:34 am
Brian the Winston hater line start on the right. No one is saying he can’t improve his TO’s, he needs to. But trolls such as yourself are laughable with some of your comments. and in typical fashion , when Jameis has a great game, people like you are invisible.
March 17th, 2018 at 11:34 am
Mariota s team has a horrible offensive scheme with flawed and injured receivers. He had a lot less to work with than Jameis.
March 17th, 2018 at 11:55 am
Simply put…If Jameis is the same Jameis as last year. We..will have the same record or worse.
March 17th, 2018 at 12:00 pm
@NFLNut … “No owners who have “written off the year” would make Ryan Jensen the highest paid center in NFL history.” Is that just your speculation Nut, or is that based on something you know that I don’t (mine was speculation … thus the ‘IMO’). Take a GOOD LOOK at the NFC South. Even if we improve our OLine & add a RB or two, which TEAMS will we (5-11 last year) be better than this year? Saints (11-5 last year)? Carolina (11-5)? Atlanta (10-6)? B-A-L-A-N-C-E is the key word … they have it. We don’t. Owners are looking past 2018 right now. Even with a drastically improved offense, hard to see the Bucs at this point doing better than 7-9 or 8-8.
March 17th, 2018 at 12:03 pm
The reason the offense and Winston did better in the last 3-4 games was because Koetter changed the offense to a more short, quick passing game because some of the better pass blocking linemen were not playing. With the subs in the Bucs were able to run the ball better and throw more short play action high percentage passes. That way Winston didn’t have to hold the ball so long in the pocket, reducing his turnovers and bonehead plays. Hopefully Koetter learned something from that. Of course this is something that only people knowledgeable of football would notice, not the geek stat boys
March 17th, 2018 at 12:03 pm
Jman, Mariota had a vastly better defense and run game to work with. Not to mention a much better offensive line. Oh and on top of that Mariota plays in the worst division in football. And blaming the offensive scheme for Mariota being downright awful last year is an excuse we could just turn around for Jameis. So how exactly did Jameis have it better than him?
March 17th, 2018 at 12:06 pm
I know Winston has improved by his stat #’s but where the needle hasn’t moved at all is his decision making. He’s made all the throws to get the yardage but hes yet to make the correct decisions to win the games. I’m not a hater, I want Jameis to succeed and be the QB he’s convinced many of us that he can be. Fact of the matter is his decision making is what’s gotten us in trouble and I know he’s not the only factor in those losses but he’s the one delivering the ball making that last decision. I need to see a maturity jump this year in that category because he’s seen enough in this league now to understand he has to get the ball to correct receiver plus he’s gonna be a new dad so I’m hoping that helps as well. Hopefully our OL and RB picks we get and have attained will help Jameis.
March 17th, 2018 at 12:12 pm
When you have three guys running routes within 5 yards of each other that’s bad. Plus, playoffs.
March 17th, 2018 at 12:13 pm
Tua 2020! Wait for it
March 17th, 2018 at 12:26 pm
JW has improved. Bucs have had the lead in 4thQ and either couldn’t run out the clock or defense couldn’t hold lead. Play calling at times is either too conservative or predictable. JW needs a running game, defense, o-line, and kicker. Noticed Bucs opponents (Browns, 49ers, and Bears) have gotten better. Even Eagles improved their defense. Defense wins championships.
March 17th, 2018 at 12:27 pm
Jaboobuc,
C’mon Dude! Jameis had too many silly decisions that led to turnovers. He can be better and should be expected to be better. Take the Freemanite.. err FSU Fanboy giggles off and watch the game.
QBs like Wentz, Goff, and others are all playing better. Jameis has talent, and he needs to hone it in and improve his game. With being the #1 overall pick comes great expectations.
March 17th, 2018 at 12:37 pm
It take a complete team to win in the NFL. Bucs fans can pretend that their team are complete. But in reality, they know that this team is no where near a complete team. They are the 4th best (worst) team in the NFC South.
March 17th, 2018 at 1:38 pm
If this team has a real kicker last season we probably have 3 more wins. I’m not talking just FGs, but more touchbacks and less returns. Our kick off coverage was awful. As a Bucs fan we just accept that a 48 yard FG is impossible while the team we are playing makes 2 of them every week. Hopefully that has been addressed. Now we desperately need to improve the D. It doesn’t have to be the steal curtain but if it can move up just 8-9 spots from dead last, we make the playoffs.
March 17th, 2018 at 1:46 pm
Lakeland you right it takes a team to win. Goff n Wentz r on better teams. The people who say Jamies is not good are people who believe don’t know football. They believe what ESPN, Colin cowherd, n sports talk shows say. They hate Winston but love Andrew luck.Luck turns over the ball it’s every body fault but his. One thing about it with Winston you all ways have a chance they don’t see that. That’s why it’s a denfrence between black qbs n white ones. They don’t get those passes like them white ones do. N that’s know race card that’s truth.
March 17th, 2018 at 1:50 pm
BUCKMAN Says:
March 17th, 2018 at 9:40 am
STOP YELLING!!! 😀
March 17th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
Improve the defense.
Improve the O-Line.
Improve the running back.
Q?: Joe Mixon or TE2 and WR4 in 2017 draft?
Sounds like playoffs to me..!!
Exactly, time of possession goes up, defense rests more.
Any Joe Mixon’s in the draft? Or, will we pick another average WR.
Jameis, Grow The F. Up…!!!
March 17th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
SteveK- no fanboy goggles here. Of course he can improve. He’s a third year player that just turned 24. However, I was responding to a statement saying he has regressed. Simply not true. It is not supported by facts or empirical evidence. Plus, he was injured for a good part of the season.
As for Goff and Wentz, each had a good year. However, jo way you could have predicted it based on their years prior. Goff was god awful and Wentz struggled quite a bit in the 2nd half of the year. Big key for both is that they play for well rounded and well coached teams with good running games and solid defense. Jamies has had neither.
I like Wentz a lot. But he’s about the only young QB that I would consider trading for Jaboo. Whether you like it or not, the kid is a stud surrounded by a bad organization.
March 17th, 2018 at 3:34 pm
The defense needs a lot of help. That said, fans keep failing to mention how many times they bailed out Winston after all of the turnovers, bonehead plays and bad decisions
March 17th, 2018 at 3:35 pm
First Down…newsflash.. this team is one of the biggest losers in the league, regardless of that last game. Period.
March 17th, 2018 at 3:40 pm
O’neil…a good QB makes the whole Offense better, and in fact, a great one helps cover up some of the shortcomings of the Defense. In fact, he is the only guy on the team that goes on the field that can do that. Jameis has not yet done even what a good QB does. He played at best average last year….that is why Fitz was just as effective as Jameis last year. And until he plays better, he is an average QB. I agree with what Joe said on this article 100%.
March 17th, 2018 at 3:55 pm
Get him a line and a back
March 17th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
Ok Mark2001 so Fitzpatrick beat the Jets at home and the Dolphins with 5 turnovers from the defense and you are saying he played as well as Jameis? See these sort of comments are why you have no creditbility. Did see Jameis when healthy this year? If you did and could not see the vast improvement then the sport might just be too much for you. Consider this there were 2 games this year where Jameis was awesome and still lost. Vs Bills 384 yards 3 TD and 72% completion percentage and vs Atlanta 299 yards 3 TD and 77% completion percentage. Again we lost both games also he out Tom Brady head to head and had us in the lead at Carolina only to our D blow.
March 17th, 2018 at 4:07 pm
Mark2001
So winning a game was a bad thing? If we are “one of the biggest losers in the league” how can a win be that bad?
March 17th, 2018 at 4:24 pm
Ndog…. Jameis is currently an average QB….. I hope he develops to be more, but it is time for him to step up and prove it. Licht has directed the most part of the last drafts to give him all the tools he needs to succeed. No more excuses. He had two above average games…but I seem to remember a schedule has 16. You certainly settle for mediocrity, don’t you.
March 17th, 2018 at 4:42 pm
Tom Edrington, Jameis didn’t have a Mike Evans,Chris Godwin, O.J Howard, Desean Jackson, etc. Excuses have to end, ok defense sucks, go out and score 35 a game. Eagles and Patriots didn’t have much defense in the Super Bowl either…its all about scoring in the anti defense pro offense NFL of today, no excuses for the offense. Stop the bonehead decisions.
March 17th, 2018 at 5:32 pm
BrianBucs,
You seem to like to take shots at me … feel free to continue to do so … I have probably forgotten more football than you’ll ever know and I don’t respect your opinion in comparison to my own, so you and your opinions are entirely irrelevant to me … carry on.
March 17th, 2018 at 5:36 pm
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STEVEK,
You still don’t seem to understand “next in line”. It doesn’t matter if the Bucs miss the playoffs and Jameis finishes with the exact same passer rating, comp % and TD-to-INT ratio … the team will still offer to make him the richest QB in history. If they don’t, another team will.
Also, I don’t care about fumbles. They are a product of the O-Line and many of them were on Marpet … Jameis has NEVER had a problem with fumbles until last year, the one year he had a jacked throwing shoulder and his O-Line played like garbage … it’s a non-issue to me.
Also, anyone who runs with the FAKE NEWS story that Jameis regressed is a blithering loon. Mariota regressed, Dak regressed, Carr regressed. Jameis set career bests in basically every single statistical category for the entire year and in his 4 healthy games at the end of the year he was BY FAR the #1 QB in the entire NFL … those are facts, whether or not loons like BrianBucs want to admit such or not.
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March 17th, 2018 at 5:39 pm
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MikeJohnson,
Yes, if Jameis gets a jacked shoulder again, we are probably doomed … but if Jameis puts up a 114.5 passer rating and a 4-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio as he did in games 12-15 when he was healthy, he will be the best QB in the NFL … and we still might have a losing record if our defense continues to be the worst in the entire league … TEAMS win games, not QBs.
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March 17th, 2018 at 5:42 pm
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DEFENSERULES,
My statement about the Glazers should be considered speculation based on common sense. Tanking owners don’t make a former 6th round pick with 16 games of starting experience at center the highest paid center in the history of the NFL … that seems obvious to me …
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March 17th, 2018 at 5:44 pm
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AGAIN … for all the loons as they seem to need a reminder:
CONSIDER, when Jameis was HEALTHY towards the end of the year (games 12-15) and wasn’t forcing to Mike just to get Mike the record he coveted like he did in the last game of the year, he was THE BEST QB IN THE NFL … BY FAR.
In those 4 games, yes all losses against teams in the playoff hunt (2 of whom made the playoffs) but by just an average of 3.75 points per game … JAMEIS COMPLETED 72% of his passes for an average of 305.25 yards per game, with 8 TDs and just 2 INTs … HE WAS THE BEST QB IN THE NFL OVER THAT 25% OF THE SEASON, THE ONLY TIME HE WAS HEALTHY.
Extrapolate those 4 games out for an entire year and you’re looking at:
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Completion Percentage: 72% (would tie Brees for #1 in the NFL)
Passing Yards: 4,884 (would BE #1 in the NFL by nearly 300 yards!)
TDs: 32 (exactly what Tom Brady had last year)
INTs: 8 (exactly what Tom Brady had last year)
Passer Rating: 114.5 (would have been #1 in the NFL by a ton!)
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The above is what Jameis 4 healthy game numbers towards the end of this year, ALL AGAINST TEAMS IN THE PLAYOFF HUNT, extrapolated over an entire year would look like … and THOSE numbers would have him standing as the #1 QB in the entire NFL without even a close 2nd statistically.
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March 17th, 2018 at 7:05 pm
At least Joe is not calling Jameis “America’s Quarterback” anymore!
Jameis was fairly rated 14th best quarterback by NFL com article recently. Not the worst or best. Pick up his option and hope he will be a top 10 guy.
Appreciate that NFLNUT thinks that he may be the best in the future and hope he is right but I am not buying a 4 game stretch. How many different quarterbacks could point to their own 4 game stretch to make a case of how great they were including Josh Freeman.
March 17th, 2018 at 7:19 pm
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^ It wasn’t just the 4 game stretch … Jameis played half the year with a jacked THROWING shoulder, no support from his running game and behind a bad O-Line and still finished with a higher passer rating than reigning MVP Matt Ryan on the entire year … when Jameis was actually healthy he was the best QB in the entire NFL but even with playing half of his games injured he still was better than the reigning MVP.
So, yes, I do believe in Jameis’ future more so than any other young QB and that’s based on his arm talent and dedication to his craft. HOWEVER, I do NOT have all that much faith in the Bucs franchise to surround him with a TEAM capable of competing for SB’s … as it stands he seems destined for a Marino like career … but I hope for the best for the franchise.
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March 17th, 2018 at 8:29 pm
Nut…extrapolate four games… please…Aaron Rodgers carry’s his team to the playoffs almost every year, often injured. How about Brady’s hand last year? The point is that in the other games, Jameis didn’t adjust his game to be successful, as Rodgers does. And you said…when he doesn’t force the ball to Evans….but have you asked yourself why he keeps doing that? As I’ve said, I hope he ends up being an excellent QB… but he isn’t now. And the stat that matters is “W’s”…. and Jameis has the tools with which he should succeed. He just needs to step forward and do it, if he can.
Geno…he is about a mid range QB now. But of course, you have to take off the Pewter colored shades to see the truth.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:34 pm
Mark2001 you are so lost its funny to read your comments.
March 17th, 2018 at 10:36 pm
Mark2001- you do realize JW hurt his throwing shoulder? Very similar thing happened to Rogers last year and he missed games. Brady had a little cut on his throwing hand and had two weeks to heal. He even said it was no big deal.
Again, he put this team in position to win at least 4 additional times above the 5 they won while playing hurt with no running game and a bad defense. And he’s in his 3rd year and only 24. If you think he’s subpar you simply don’t know.
March 18th, 2018 at 4:26 am
Hoping that jw3 is our qb for a long time but draft a qb in the later rounds of the draft. Make sure he knows we are looking to the future. On another point, i thought the club handled the shoulder injury poorly. Jw3 played poorly before they pulled him out, upon reflection the injury seems to have hindered him.
March 18th, 2018 at 8:40 am
We can’t stop the pass, the run, or rush the passer. You want to draft QBs? Not very bright. Jameis did not have tools to be successful last year. Worst d in the league with worst special teams in the league. That is the issue. The end.
March 18th, 2018 at 10:29 am
Jboo….Rodgers had a broken collar bone, with screws inserted. No doctor in the world would clear him to play. Jameis needed to take a few games off. You guys are so funny…trying to justify overall average QB play.
March 18th, 2018 at 10:56 am
Honestly, some of you can see no wrong with anything Bucs. I’ve always been in Jameis’s corner…Joe has always been in his corner. Both of us hope he will develop into a HOF QB. Joe said average won’t cut it anymore. I said he has been playing like an ave. QB. Most outside Tampa Bay would likely agree with that. So why must you ignore reality and not admit it? And if you want to be totally honest about it, I’d bet Jameis would say he has been playing like an ave. NFL QB.
March 18th, 2018 at 1:16 pm
In the last quarter of the season he played at an absolute elite level. If he sustaines that level for the entire season he is a top 3 QB in this league. That’s a big if. However the reason it doesn’t matter and is not the issue is cause even when he’s elite we lose because of special teams and defense. QBs can’t play much better than he did against Atlanta or Buffalo it’s not possible. Yet we still lose. Thus QB play is not the problem around here.